Google launches new mobile advertising innovations

Owing to the fact that search giant Google recently admitted that more searches take place on mobile devices than on computers in 10 countries including the US and Japan, it has now made it easier for advertisers to track the movement of customers between different devices.

Google says that these advertising innovations have been introduced because consumers expect immediate and relevant answers when browsing for goods and services online, regardless of whether they are on mobile or desktop.

The new ad units involved look, at least on the surface, to be a useful new addition to Google services. Having investigated what is going on our analysis indicates that this is definitely the case so let’s take a closer look at just what is now on offer.

Better ad experiences

After listening to feedback from marketers and looking at its own insights on how people search for information, Google has “built a whole new generation of ad experiences that are richer, more engaging and designed for screen-swipes instead of mouse-clicks so we meet consumers’ needs, right when they are looking.”

These new ad units allow for cross-device conversion tracking but also enable marketers to attribute revenue to ad spend according to which device the customer made a purchase from.

In many respects, the new ad units resemble other interactive forms of advertising made especially for mobile devices. Therefore, they are much more functional and specific for certain sectors.

Ad examples

Automotive – Google says that car buyers spend up to 15 hours researching, comparing and learning about their purchase options online. But in addition to looking up performance figures, automotive consumers are also interested in pictures of their ideal vehicle and around half of Google searches for cars contain images. But with Automobile Ads, a carousel of cars images can be viewed as well as details about certain specifications and a link to nearby dealer listings.

Hotels – Google believes that the millions of hotel searches that take place every day could be millions of potential hotel bookings. With users looking for things like rates, availability, location, reviews, descriptions, photos and Google Street View, this kind of information has now been made available on Hotel Ads, which will be supported by partners around the world and show prices from a variety of sources. The would-be holidaymaker can then easily select “book” to complete their reservation.

Mortgages – Google has confidence than both first time buyers and property moguls will use its newest addition to Google Compare (US only) to find the latest rates from multiple providers and review a customised set of criteria like interest, terms of the loan and fees. With the Google search ad, users can apply for a mortgage directly from an approved lender or speak to an adviser for help.

These ad units also feature the ability to determine whether a click turned into an in-store visit. This is made possible thanks to user-provided data, geo location data, and ad impression data to see when and where a customer enters the organisation’s retail outlet. Although this is only available in the US, Canada, and Australia, it could well receive a global rollout if proved successful.

We are under no illusion at MintCandy that this will provide Google with a lucrative new revenue stream worldwide in the coming months if, as expected, the trial of this technology is successful.

Watch out Go Compare, Compare The Market and Confused dot com, Google is most definitely getting more involved with your valuable business streams!

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